Everyone Needs Their Payday
by Depressing Shadows
Summary: (Adventure, AU) As the four most wanted criminals of the 21st century descend on Washington DC and start their epic spree of crime and violence, tension rises as they also must live out normal lives. (Pairings will be present, but only in side stories. Included pairings are Shadamy, KnucklesxRouge, and others) Rated M for crime and violence.
1. Meet the Crew

**I'm back, and I finally got the time and will to write a new story. This time we will focus on an adventure story rather than a love story. There will, however, be hints and side stories of pairings. The setting and concept of the story will be familiar to anyone who's played the game "Payday 2". I won't mark it as a crossover fic, simply because I think the "Payday" fanfic readers will have no interest in this story. I also needs some OCs, so PM me if you got any (can't promise they'll survive though). In other news, I'm trying to revive the story "Imperator", so get hyped or whatever. **

**Now, without further ado:**

**-Everyone Needs Their Payday-**

**-Washington National Airport, 03.35PM-**

-Shadow's POV-

"Welcome to Washington DC, gentlemen"

I heard my contact, known only as "Tails", tell me through my earpiece as we exited Washington National Airport. A new city, new chances. Hmph! Who am I fooling? This is going to be just as last time. Hell, It's probably going to be worse. A career criminal is what I've degraded to. Where did my pride go? My honour? Lost in the waves of time, I suppose. That also may explain why I'm teamed up with a socially awkward silver hedgehog, an overly noble cat and a wanna-be gangster echidna. One day… I might get out of this evil circle. One day… Sighing, I glanced over at my team before asking.

"So Tails, where is our pickup"

Never been a person for chitchatting. Cutting straight to the point have always been my "thing".

"Straight to the point as usual, but I'm way ahead of you; Since I know you disapprove of letting anyone drive you anywhere due to your lack of trust towards _any_ living being, I had my associate park a SUV for you and your team to drive to your new safehouse. A real fancy car I might add. There will be a map with directions stashed somewhere in the car. Keys are already in the ignition. Enjoy! Oh, and Shadow? I left you a surprise in the trunk of the car, as you ordered"

I scoffed at his use of sarcasm. Of course I trust people! However, I don't think many people deserve my trust. Nevertheless, I nodded my head in approval; although this sarcastic bastard just called out my obvious social issues, I liked the idea of riding into DC in style.

"Understood. Disconnecting from the call"

-Silver's POV-

Ah, Washington DC. A city filled to the brim with opportunities. Alongside my superb team of heisters, we're going to turn this city upside down. Just think of all the banks that we'll rob, the jewellery we'll _"borrow"_, and all the money we'll accumulate for our cause. I almost feel bad for the people living here. Almost like I don't want to steal from them… Nah! Who am I fooling? I'm going to steal so much shit I'm going to grow weary of it. No vault or safe is _safe _from me! In addition, Mister Gloomy over there just informed us that We're riding into town in style with a swanky new SUV. This is going to be fun. Really fun! Snapping back to reality, I turned to my team, throwing a celebratory fist into the air.

"Cry _Wolf _Washington DC, 'cause we're coming!"

-Blaze's POV-

Of course, the boy couldn't contain his excitement. Typical. Typical and unprofessional. He couldn't be professional even if his life depended on it. In every city we arrive, in every bank we enter… He should learn a thing or two from Shadow about keeping a façade and a professional exterior. Outbursts like these tend to get annoying worryingly quick.

"_Silver_…"

Shadow spoke up, scowling at him. He withdrew his fist, blushing lightly from embarrassment. He quickly made eye contact with the sidewalk. That'll make him think twice about doing that again… Bah! Who am I fooling? He will do it at the next chance he gets. Some things just never changes, I guess.

"Don't be too harsh now, Shadow"

He's scowl slowly disappeared into a simple, disapproving frown. Turing away from Shadow, I put a reassuring hand on Silver's shoulder. He looked up at me. I simply nodded, making him smile ever so slightly. Some things never change, do they?

-Knuckles POV-

Damn. It looks like half the team is turning into some sort of soft, love-story shit. Well, at least Shadow is as professional as always. I can't say the same for those two lovebirds over there. Silver And Blaze. It's bound to happen. And knowing our luck, probably in the middle of a shot-out or some shit. Aw, screw it. I'm "street" enough to carry the team in such a situation. Hell, I've always been the one to change the tide in any battle we've been. Being the team's brute, I take pride in that. I might not be the stealthiest guy around, nor have I been interested in any love story, but when there is ass to be kicked, I'm always around to dish out some punishment. I also see it as my personal duty to keep the crew tough and ready.

"Yo, Lovebirds! Another time, please; We got shit to do"

I watch with amusement as the two blush and retract away from each other. I felt a celebratory smirk was in order, and thereby prided my facial features with one. However, it didn't last long as I heard Shadow scoff and mumble something inaudible. I am almost sure it had something to do with "being unprofessional". Ha! Who is he trying to fool? Me and unprofessional are words that doesn't belong together. Shrugging it off, I decided that we had wasted enough time here.

"Alright boys and girls, Let's get movin'!"

**-Safehouse, 05:27PM- **

-Shadow's POV-

Parking the SUV after double-checking the map that we we're at the right place, I looked around; We found ourselves in front of an abandoned warehouse of some kind. Cocking my M1911 handgun, which "Tails" thoughtfully stashed in the trunk of the car, I turned towards my teammates.

"End of the line… Be prepared for anything"

Sharing some quizzical looks, they almost reluctantly exited the vehicle. They were probably wondering, as I did, why we had gotten an old, rundown warehouse of some kind as our safehouse. I stopped at the door, examining it carefully for any traps. Looking around, checking for any suspicious activities. When I had reassured myself that this wasn't an ambush of any kind, I sighed and reluctantly put my hand on the door knob.

"Here we go"

Opening the door slowly, checking every corner before breaching. Gun in hand, I cleared room by room, becoming more worried as I didn't find any signs of recent human activity; mainly a base of operations for us to plan our dastardly deeds. My worry hit an altime high when I entered a room and a phone in said room started ringing. I looked back at my teammates, who followed me in close pursuit. They signalled for me to pick up the phone, which I reluctantly did.

"…Hello?"

A few seconds passed without an answer. Growing aggravated as well as scared, I answered the silence with a question.

"… Who the hell is this?"

Glancing over at my teammates who, at this point, was also getting worried. They were looking around, watching out for any suspicious activities. I was about to put the phone down and run for it when the silence was broken.

"You should really put some mote trust in me, Shadow"

Letting out a sigh of relief, I answered him.

"This is exactly why I don't put _any_ trust in you Tails… Now where is the safehouse you promised us?"

A hatch in the floor suddenly popped open, revealing a staircase leading to an underground basement. Cautiously I made my way down the staircase, expecting a police ambush to happen any second.

"Welcome to the safehouse. To give you a quick tour of the place; to the right is the armoury; here you can try out your guns and improve your aim. To the left is the planning room, where I inform you of your jobs and you can plan out how to complete them. Straight ahead is the vault. Pretty self-explanatory; you store your cash in there. I'll give you some time to get used to it, but tomorrow, you'll have your first "contract", if you know what I'm saying. Enjoy"

Putting down my gun, realising now that the feared police assault was never going to happen. Turning to my associates, I informed them about the current situation. They seemed quite relieved, and I couldn't blame them.

"Well, it's certainly better than upstairs" Blaze commented. And she was right, it was better, and most importantly; it was hidden. No one would ever be able to find us here, unless the others brought heat with them here.

"Close the hatch" I ordered. Silver was the one to follow the order, and promptly closed the hatch behind him after entering. Knuckles was the next to speak up.

"So… Where is our masks at?"

This was a good question. However, it had a simple answer. After searching for a bit, we found a crate in the armoury containing our masks, as well as some basic weaponry. Each mask was marked with our codenames:

Mine was "Dallas"; the patriotic red, white and blue.

Silver's "Wolf"; the soulless eyes of a monster.

Blaze's "Hoxton"; the kind face among criminals.

Knuckles' "Chains"; the face that the law fears.

We were the PAYDAY gang, like it or not.

"What do we do now?" Blaze asked. Another good question with a simple answer:

"We wait"

**First chapter/prologue done. Excited or not, you tell me. I recommend you google these masks to get a better idea of how they look. Hoxton-fans are going to slaughter me for making him a girl in this fanfic, aren't they? **

**Due to lack of internet, I will not be able to follow up the story right away. However, in a weeks time, you can expect part two.**

**Anyways, that's my time, hope you enjoyed.**

**Until next time…**


	2. Jewellery Store

**Appreciate the amount of attention the first chapter got**

**Replies to reviews:**

**NothingBetter1: Stay tuned for more. I think you'll like it.**

**Stanger: Thanks for the positive feedback. Stay tuned for mote.**

**xXDarkAngelKittenXx: You're glad I'm writing again, and I'm glad you're reviewing again. And saying badass isn't cursing… Trust me. Stay tuned.**

**Lord Kevin: Ah, it's you again. Let's go through the list shall we: Too many POV changes. I agree, wasn't happy with it. Too much crossover material: Just the pseudo names and setting (even marked the fic with alternate universe). Not very much in my opinion. Not liking pseudo names. Entirely subjective. Characterisation: If you read between the lines in the different POVs, you'll find loads of cannon personality. Shadow: the casual badass who is slightly depressed and secretly loathes almost everybody. Knuckles: Canon Gangster cliché from SA2. Blaze: Caring for her friends and loyal to her cause. Silver: The loveable, gullible idiot who everyone thinks is annoying at times. Tails is admittedly "a bit" OOC, but he's smart enough to oversee a criminal group consisting of four people. You should put some more trust in me. **

**Now without further ado:**

**Everyone Needs Their Payday: Chapter 2; Jewellery Store**

**-Safehouse, 01:00PM- **

**-Shadows POV-**

After an uneventful morning consisting of staring at the wall and looking over my back, still wondering if the heat is outside our door. We are waiting for Tails to call and inform us about our newest job. I've already been in the planning room, looking at the blueprints of what looks like a jewellery store. A typical smash and grab situation. The security detail seems to be very light, even though the jewellery is valuable; only one security guard, probably equipped with a pager connected with the G.U.N central operating system in town. A lie will be needed to satisfy the page-operator. This, however, will be the smallest of issues in the coming future: Since our mental health will be severely weakened by staying in a compressed room for a prolonged period of time , we need to go incognito and live out normal lives while we're here, and reading the information here, I don't like where this going…

A ringing phone brought me out of my daze. Picking it up carefully, as if it was fragile, I opened the line.

"Hello...?"

A quick answer was a welcome change from the unwanted tension created by yesterday's phone call.

"Shadow, put the phone on loudspeaker and gather the team. It's time"

A quick tap on the phone and a session of shouting the various names and beckoning for them to come to the planning room immediately. Once they were gathered around the wooden table in the centre of the room, I laid the blueprints of the table for everyone to see. Not long after, Tails began the briefing.

"This is a straight up "Smash-n-Grab". You go in, take out the security guard, control the civilians. Our client, known only as "BatGirl" needs three bags filled to the brim with jewellery. She will pay bountifully for any extra bags you manage to… eh… "liberate". You will deliver the bags to her personally. Try not to alert the 5-0 in your first job; they don't know we're in town. Let's try to keep it that way for as long as possible, although they will inevitably know after this job. Any questions?"

I used this as my possibility to speak up.

"I've been looking through the plans for our "lives". They seem good and all, however one part displeases me: Knuckles gets to go to a fight-club, Blaze and Silver gets to participate in different kinds of jobs, depending on which place we're going to hit next, functioning as a recon unit. Meanwhile, I have to go back to collage… to get a degree in ancient history?"

Hearing the snickers around the room, my irritation reached new heights. "_I'm looking forward to his answer"_.

"You'll like it, I promise. In addition, my associate has arraigned for you to not have any tests, nor homework. Besides, you're 25; you'll fit right in. And if you're lucky, perhaps you can get some cliché "high school romance" going on while you're there"

Scowling at the phone, I summed up all my feeling towards his sarcastic and disrespectful remarks in three lovely words:

"I hate you"

Hearing chuckling coming from the other end, he swiftly replied.

"I know you do. Now get moving gang! The van is waiting for you outside."

Grabbing my gear, I checked if my guns were loaded. Making sure everything was in order, I made my way towards the hatch that marked the exit point of the safehouse. I opened the hatch slowly, still suspicious of my surroundings. Convincing myself that there was no one there, I opened it fully and exited the safehouse. I started finding my way through the old warehouse with my companions following. After a couple of minutes of irritating searching, I finally found the exit to the godforsaken building. Getting outside, I saw the van waiting for us. Cautiously walking over to the side of the van, not knowing who the driver was. I demanded to know.

"_Step _out of the vehicle with your hands above your head"

I put extra emphasis on the word "step" to seem threatening, but with no apparent effect. I watched as the door casually opened, and a light orange fox stepped out of the van with hands above his head, as ordered. He wore a black, ragged trench coat, and across his right eye stretched a very visible scar. He looked to be in his late twenties. Appearances aside, that didn't change the fact that I had never seen him before.

"Who the hell are you?"

Lowering his hands, he let out a small chuckle.

"You're Dallas I suppose. Tails warned me about one of you being overly cautious. I'm "Scar", a mercenary for hire and your personal driver"

Looking back at my crew, whom nodded in approval of the so-called "mercenary", before entering the backseats of the van. However, Knuckles spoke up before getting in.

"If you try any funny shit, new-guy; You're dead"

A short chuckle once again emitted from the fox. Now it was my turn to speak up.

"Get in, drive, and don't ask any questions. Do not leave before we are all in the van, as we leave no man, nor woman, behind. Drive us directly to jewellery store, without any detours. These are your basic rules, and breaking any of them will result in an early retirement"

The fox shrugged his shoulders, not seeming to care. He turned around, answering as he entered the driver's seat.

"Alright… You're the boss"

**-Jewellery Store, 02:13PM-**

"Drive into that alleyway over there and park the car. No matter what happens, you stay here until we're inn"

With the jewellery store in sight, I felt my nerves hitting an altime high. Frankly, I don't know why. This is a standard job. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, I was nervous. I don't know if the others noticed, or even cared. Feeling the car come to a complete stop brought me out of my little daze. Slowly opening the door and peeking out, I scanned my surroundings: One security guard, a light blue hedgehog, leaning against the north wall of the store and having a smoke. A prime opportunity to strike. Equipping my mask to cover up my identity, I quietly opened the door and stepped outside. Silently making my way over to the guard, who seemed to be in a world of his own, I leaned on the same wall besides him. Smirking, I thought of a way to bring him out of his fantasy world.

"So… What's your favourite US city?"

I guess I got his attention as a gasp admitted from his when he turned my way.

"DALLAS?!"

Swiftly knocking him out with the butt of my gun, I stood over his limp body.

"Correct"

Turning to leave, a small buzz from his limp body stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Hello? … Steven, are you drinking on the job again? Pick up the pager"

I had almost forgotten the page-operator. Cursing to myself, I picked up the pager.

"… Uh, I… don't know what you're on about. Everything's ok over here"

Waiting worriedly for his response, I feared for the worst: If he didn't believe me, there would be blood, and many would not return home to their families.

" Um… That checks out. Just try not to disconnect the pager next time, ok?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I carefully put the pager back on the knocked-out guard. I turned towards the van where the rest of the crew were staring at me with amusement. Signalling that the coast was clear they put on their masks on and approached me. I made my way towards the backdoor of store, opening it slowly and silently. Why I did that, I don't know, as I proceeded to storm in the door. The employees in the back didn't even get time to react before I was in their face, waving a gun abound.

"DOWN… On the FUCKING GROUND!"

They were swift to comply with my demands. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Blaze place down a little ElectronicCounterMeasure to stop any of the civilians trying to call to police. In the background, I heard Knuckles and Silver yelling at the civilians in the front room.

"Get in the back! And when you're there…"

Silver finished what Knuckles started:

"GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND, OR I'LL POP YOU LIKE FISH IN A BARRLE"

Sighing and shaking my head, I turned towards the civilians who had made their way into the back. After "dealing" with the civilians, which included tying them up and knocking out the ones that made the ones that were screaming, I turned to Silver and slapped him in the back of his head.

"That's for being unprofessional, now get to work with looting the jewellery, we don't have all day. I'll keep an eye on our friends here"

Holding his hands up in defence, he looked stunned and surprised. He really shouldn't be. I've warned him about being unprofessional before.

"Y-yes, Sir"

Watching him leave with Knuckles and Blaze to scavenge the store, once out of sight, I turned to the civilians who we had bunched up in the manager's office. They were scared half to death, and had every right to be, thanks to that stupid hedgehog being himself. Five tense, uneventful minutes passed and the first bag filled with jewellery was brought into the office. Knuckles, who had brought the bag, quickly left to fill another. I looked back at the civilians. One particular hedgehog caught his attention. It was an orange hedgehog with light orange quills, holding onto a piece of jewellery for dear life. Intrigued, I approached the young male, who seemed to be no more than 18.

"So… Who's that for Mr…?"

He tilted his head slightly upwards to face me before starting to stammer the sentence he was trying to say.

"B-Bryan…I-i-it's for s-s-someone… S-sir"

Amused, I continued to torment the already scared boy.

"Someone…_ Special?"_

Watching as his cheeks turn red, I had already gotten my answer.

"Y-yes, S-sir"

I grabbed the jewellery out of his hand. I studied it at it: It wasn't a cheap piece, but not the most expensive one could find either. Refocusing on the scared boy, who now had tears in his eyes. For a little second, I almost felt sorry for him.

"Well, _Bryan_… If you want to impress someone, you should try to do it a bit better than _this_"

A few, very silent chuckles were heard around the room. Walking over to the bag filled with jewellery and opened it. Placing Bryan's jewellery in it, I quickly started searching through it. Finding a golden necklace with diamonds implanted in it, I turned to the clerk, who was tied up in a corner.

"How much does this cost?"

Looking like she'd seen a ghost, she stammered out a quick answer.

"A-about 10 grand"

Nodding in approval at the answer, I turned back to Bryan.

"Now, _this _will surely impress whomever the lucky one is"

I handed the necklace to him, and for a couple of seconds, he just stared at it in disbelief. Looking up at me once more, he spoke up, more confidently this time.

"T-thank you, Sir"

**-Meanwhile-**

**-Silvers POV-**

The sound of glass being smashed to bits. Nothing quite like it. Always liked the "Smash" part of "Smash and Grab". It's a shame that is almost over, as this store is almost cleaned out. Three full bags of jewellery, including the one Knuckles handed Shadow. This "BatGirl" is going to be all over this when we deliver it. Picking up two bags and handing one to Blaze, I went in the back to check on Shadow and the civilians. I still can't believe he slapped me for being "unprofessional". I guess he doesn't appreciate enthusiasm, like I do.

"YO, Dallas. We'll be leaving now! Make sure you're ready"

Earning a slight nod from him, I continued to walk towards the door we came in. Once outside, I was pleased to find that the driver hadn't bailed, and was still in position. Walking up to the van and tossed my bag of jewellery in the back before entering. Once inside, the driver, known only as "Scar" turned to me.

"So… How did it go?"

"Well… We got enough to cover our quota and my adrenaline is through the roof, so I would say it went fantastic."

Turning away, he gave a low chuckle. He seemed to be the slightly happier version of Shadow.

"Stop arguing _Chains_, and get the fucking bags in the back"

Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. Watching the rest of the crew getting in the van, I turned to face Shadow.

"What was that all about?"

Shadow was about to answer, but Knuckles beat him to the chase.

"He made me carry his bag!"

Shadow just huffed, ignored the both of us and turned to "Scar".

"Get us moving!"

**Finally finished. Tell me what you think. Leave a review, follow and favourite.**

**OC-Cameo by Bryan (xXDarkAngelKittenXx) and "Scar" (NothingBetter1)**

**Until next time.**


	3. Drop Off And Drop In

**Replies to reviews:**

**Guest: Thanks for your support. Enjoy the next chapter. R&R.**

**NothingBetter1: The more difficult heists are coming up in the future, stay tuned.**

**xXDarkAngelKittenXx: The game is great amounts of fun to play with friends, and the story is based on Payday 2. As for the jewellery store incident, it was to both characterize Shadow, and trigger an event that will be explored later in the story.**

**Jonesy757: Never thought you would see such a story? Think again. Thanks for the R&R. **

**A/N: Apparently found it very funny to troll me by not uploading the story when I specifically asked it to do so, so this chapter is exactly 10 hours delayed from original upload time. **

**Now without further ado:**

**Everyone Needs Their Payday: Chapter 3; Drop off and drop in**

**-Silver's POV-**

When we left the store, Shadow and Knuckles were fighting about carrying bags. When we arrived at the pre-determined location where we would trade jewellery for money, they were still arguing about it. Or… not as much as they arguing as Knuckles shouting incoherent stuff and Shadow completely ignoring him. And they call me unprofessional. Deciding to break up their little dispute, I spoke up.

"Um… Guys? We're here"

Shadow took notice of the situation and started commanding us around again. Fair enough that he always has everything under control, however it's borderline annoying when he does it. Doesn't he have enough faith in us to trust us with a simple task of "move jewellery 20 meters from point A to point B"? Perhaps he's feed up with us? Whatever makes him this control freak, he sure ain't telling us.

After a while of moving the bags, Shadow spoke up.

"Knuckles, it's all you from now on. Make the trade, no distractions. Silver, Blaze, you join me in the car as backup if anything goes down"

Shrugging, I joined him on the short walk back to the car. _This is going to be fun._

**-Knuckles POV-**

Nodding in Shadow's general direction, I turned away from the retreating forms of my crew. I still can't believe that lazy bastard. Making me carry his bags? What does he think he is? I respect him and all that, but that was borderline fucking annoying. Snapping out of my little train of thoughts, figuring that the situation at hand was more important than my mental rants. Pulling my gun closer to my chest, I patiently waited for this so-called "BatGirl" to show up. Five tense minutes went by. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see my friends also getting slightly worried.

"How nice of the crew to send the handsome one to do the deal"

Snapping my head towards the source of the voice and readying my gun, aiming at the albino bat that revealed herself to be the owner of the voice. I still can't explain what happened. A sudden rush went through my body as I took in all the features of the bat; she was stunning. A small, sarcastic giggle filled the air as she spoke up.

"That's no way to treat a lady, now is it?"

Trying to regain some composure and act cool, I lowered the gun and spoke up.

"J-just a safety measure… You must be this "BatGirl" they've been speaking about"

Her eyes shifted between the bags of jewellery and me, filled with equal amount of excitement.

"Correct. But please; call me Rouge. I've got the money right here…"

She held up a pretty big briefcase and gestured for me to take it. Grabbing it slowly out of her hands, I put it down on the ground to check its content. Opening it, I was content to find stacks upon stacks of hundred-dollar bills. Closing the briefcase and standing back up, the bat spoke up again.

"All in order?"

I nodded.

"Alright, then you must keep your end of the deal"

I nodded again and stepped out of the way, giving her free access to the jewellery. She kneelt down by one of the bags, opening it to inspect the jewellery. After a while of fiddling with various pieces of jewellery, she was eventually content and stood back up. Nodding in approval, she spoke up once more.

"Can you please help me with the bags?"

NO WAY! I've already carried way more than I should today, and now I got to carry more? No way! If I have any self-respect, I will refuse this offer in a rude manner!

"Um… Yeah, sure"

Well… I never said I wasn't a hypocrite. Grabbing two of the bags that were laying on the floor, I walked over to her car and stuffed them in the backseat. I repeated this once more until there were no more bags to carry. I'm going to get verbally slaughtered by Shadow for this. As I placed the last bag in the backseat, I was startled by a small pat on the back.

"Such a gentleman. Perhaps you can stop by my place sometime. For a celebratory drink or something"

She handed me a little piece of paper with an address written down on it. A wink is the last I saw as she entered the driver's seat of the car and drove off. For a few moments, I just stared into space, not really realising where I was. Snapping out of it, I walked back to the car with the briefcase in hand. When I saw Shadow's smirk, and I knew I was done for.

"_This is gonna be one hell of a ride"_

After a two hour drive consisting of Shadow having a lot of fun om my expense, everyone laughing at me and me getting pissed, we finally got back to the safehouse, where we spent the rest of the day. Tomorrow we get to live out our normal lives, and quite frankly, after a drive like this, I need some time away from the rest of the crew.

**-Next day, Emerald Collage -**

**-Shadow's POV-**

Sitting down at a vacated spot in the classroom, praying that no one would sit next to me. I originally thought that a life of crime would spare me the expense of being forced into a cramped classroom, filled to the brim with people you secretly despise and don't want to spend your time with, but I guess I was mistaken. I looked down every time some idiot looked my way, making no effort to noticed by anyone. _This was a great idea Tails_. When I get my hands on you…

"C-can I sit here"

My train of thoughts was rudely interrupted by a voice belonging to a female. A stuttering voice at that. I looked slightly to the left to see a young, pink coloured hedgehog. Her emerald eyes were looking at me, a gaze of fear and excitement. She was awaiting an answer, and delaying it any further would be abnormal social behaviour. Trying to keep a low profile by acting as normal as I could, I let out a small sigh before answering.

"Sure… Go ahead"

She nodded slightly, a sort of "_thanks for letting me sit here"_ kind of gesture. I turned my head away from her as she proceeded to sit down. A silence settled between us, which I approved of. The silence lasted until the teacher entered the classroom. He walked over to the blackboard, placed his things at his desk, and started welcoming us to "A new year, filled with possibilities" and all that dumb shit we don't really care about. Let's see how optimistic he'll be when I steal all of his savings one of these days. Perhaps that day will be an entertaining one… almost can't wait to find out.

"Let's get going with this year's curriculum. First chapter will be the republic era of the Roman domain"

…

After basic knowledge about how the republic came to be, the first break was upon me. I hoped I could spend these precious few minutes to clear my head and relax a bit. However, my hopes were brutally crushed by the pink-coloured female.

"So… I never got to know your name…?"

I looked over at her. She was turned towards me, eagerly awaiting an answer. I tensed up at her gaze, but keep my cool, and answered.

"Shadow… What's yours?"

She smiled slightly at my response.

"I'm Amy… Amy Rose"

This was the spark needed to ignite the flame that was our little chitchatting session. Exchanging some info about each other, although most of mine was made up for obvious reasons. However, the sound of the teachers voice abruptly broke up our little session. Somewhat reluctantly, I turned away from Amy. I was surprised to find myself wanting to talk more with Amy. The teacher continued explaining about how the government of Rome was formed, and how the senate had all the power. However, mid-sentence, he was interrupted by the door of the classroom suddenly swinging open, causing everyone to turn towards it.

"Scourge, you're late"

A shrug of his shoulder and an uninspired, untruthful "sorry" was all that came from the green hedgehog. He wore a black leather jacket and sunglasses. He looked like a rebel, a troublemaker. However, I can't judge him, considering what I've done in the past. However, I couldn't help but notice that Amy cowered away from him. At least as far as the seat would allow. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but decided it could wait for a better time. The rest of the period went by as normal. As the second break came around, I turned towards Amy to see her having an intense staring contest with her desk.

"Anything wrong?"

My words startled her, and they even startled me. I was not a person who usually cared for people; however, her light and cautious attitude made her easy to talk to, and my experience of my "normal life" had taken a turn for the better because of her. I guess I owed her as much.

"Um… No. I m-mean… Yes"

She sighed mid-sentence, showing clear signs of distress. She nodded towards the green hedgehog, indicating that he was the source of her distress. Putting two and two together, I asked her:

"Problems from the past?"

A small nod came from her. I debated asking for more info, but decided against it. She's probably stressed enough without me interrogating her. I wanted her to lighten up, and tried to think of something to cheer her up. It was proving to be hard for an uncaring being. After a while of brainstorming, I had found my answer to her problems.

"Hey… If he bothers you, call my name, and I'll deal with him"

She looked up at me with a slight smile, grateful for my sworn protection.

"Thank you, Shadow"

As the rest of the day rolled by, I would come to somewhat regret my promise. In the last recess of the day, this green problem-child decided to approach us. I looked over at Amy; she was looking down, hoping that it would make him go away, or make her invisible. No such luck I'm afraid.

"Hey Amy… _Nice _to see you again"

He had a sly smirk priding his face. He was really proud of himself for what he was doing. I felt angry… no, furious. The way he treated her made me furious… It was unexplainable, but I was pissed. My brief madness peaked when Amy answered him.

"Scourge… Please go away. Please"

His smirk grew bigger.

"Make me"

That was it! I couldn't be quiet anymore. This disrespecting piece of shit was going down. With or without a fight was his option.

"She asked you _NICELY…_ Be gone, before I make you"

Turing to me, smirk gone and slightly surprised. I guess he wasn't too used to people opposing him. There is a first time for everything. However, it seemed like he got the clue and backed off, making one last snarky remark before leaving us be:

"Whoa! Didn't mean to upset your boyfriend there Rose"

His smirk was back on, and my anger was still clearly visible. I looked back at Rose, who sighed in relief, and started thanking me for what I had done. I insisted that it wasn't necessary, but she wouldn't listen. After some more thanks and so, the rest of the day went by without any major events occurring. However, at the end of the day, as I left the company of Amy, I felt strange: I didn't want her company to end… Damn, I'm growing soft. Oh, well. I should head back home to find out if we got another heist coming up. I still want his savings, you know.

**There, finally complete. Not too satisfied with it, but I think it'll do.**

**R&R.**

**Sorry for the delay.**

**Also, I'm currently working on another story alongside my coop partner, xXDarkAngelKittenXx. It'll be the second story we have written, and you should totally check out our first story; "Snow Blind" on her Fanfic page. I won't tell what the second story is about, I'm just telling you to get hyped.**

**Depressing Shadows, signing out for now.**

**Until next time. **


	4. Stockholm Syndrome And Plan B

**Reply to review:**

**xXDarkAngelKittenXx: I greatly appreciate your support for this story, and I hope I will not disappoint in later chapters. But until then, enjoy this next chapter. **

**Now without further ado:**

**Everyone Needs Their Payday: Stockholm Syndrome And Plan B**

**-Shadows POV, Safehouse-**

After about two hours trying to get "home" by way of different types of excruciating public transports, I finally arrived at the rundown shack we call a safehouse. Both mentally and physically exhausted from the various activities of the day, I dragged my tired body along and opened the door. Once inside, I was immediately greeted by my crew.

"Shadow! How was your day?"

Blaze beat everyone to it and asked first. I looked at her, surprised to find genuine interest in how my day had gone. Intrigued, I mentally noted that something was behind this… Abnormal behaviour of hers.

"Not… As bad as expected. Actually quite enjoyable"

I swear; the last time I saw them this shocked, the police was tasing them. Sharing some surprised looks, they stayed in silence for a couple of seconds. Even Blaze didn't quite know how to react to my rather… positive remark. Sighing, I walked passed them, turned on the TV, turned on the news and sat down in one of the couches present. It was only now that Blaze spoke up for a second time.

"Hand over the money boys, you lost"

I turned slightly towards them, one brow risen in confusion. What was she talking about? As Silver and Knuckles shared a look, they muttered something along the lines about me "being pissed off was the obvious answer", and that Blaze "Staged the thing". Piecing together the puzzle, I fully turned towards them.

"You were betting on my reaction to my first day living a normal life?!"

I knew there was something not right about Blaze's behaviour. Damn these unprofessional, pathetic morons that are my teammates. Fair enough that they were giving my apologetic looks, but this is borderline stupidity. Angrily turning away from them, I redirected my attention towards the TV, hoping that the news would at least distract me enough to forget about my companions for a while.

"BREAKING NEWS are just in! One of DC's finest jewellery stores has been robbed. Hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of jewellery has been stolen in a fashion that police calls "Smash and Grab". This type of robberies are often loud, requires a lot of crowd control for it to be a success, and is usually quick enough to evade direct confrontations with the police, according to chief of the police-force; Sonic The Hedgehog.

Strangely enough, the robbery was discovered by the manager, who wasn't present at the time of the robbery and arrived later that same day. None of the people who supposedly were held hostage at gunpoint, wanted to give up any information about the robbers, nor even call the police after the thieves had left. This is a strange phenomenon scientist's call "Stockholm Syndrome". Further investigation shows that…"

A small smile formed on my lips. However, it was soon replaced by a frown. I wasn't a kind person, nor a relatable person. Why in the word had the civilians in the store not called the police? Perhaps I was the only semi-kind guy at the time? I did crack a few jokes when I was there, but there is no way that's the reason they didn't call. If I am indeed that funny, I'm going to give up my criminal career and become a comedian. I was puzzled, yet intrigued at the same time. I remembered my short interaction with the orange hedgehog, and the witty quips that I made when I was tormenting him. Was that the reason? Me showing them a human side of my personality was only to calm them down so they wouldn't scream, or make me silence them.

"Earth to Shadow!"

Silver was waving his hand in front of me, instantly snapping me out of my train of thoughts. Irritated with the silver hedgehog, I snapped back at him.

"What do you want?"

Putting his hands up defensively, backing up some, he answered.

"Tails just called us to the briefing room. New heist tomorrow"

Sighing heavily, I reluctantly stood up. With this rate, it was very clear that Tails wanted every second to count. The second heist in two days… This is going to be a long stay in DC. My mind drifted to my day at the college, and reluctantly to a certain pink hedgehog…

"Yeah… I'm coming…"

Entering the briefing room, I saw the rest of the guys standing around the table that was centred in the room, studying some blueprints. The voice of Tails was heard from a phone on loudspeaker.

"This is a classic bank heist; a load of money, scheduled to be given in form of monthly payments to various sources, will be stored in this bank. Your job? Go in, grab the money, and get the hell out of there. Heavy security is to be expected, so be prepared for "Pan B". I've had my associate drop off some equipment and ballistic vests for you to pick up. They are stored in a van behind the bank. The vault will be breach-able, so no thermal-lance is required. The C4 is stored in the van that I previously mentioned. Any questions?"

A silence settled. We shared some concerned looks. This was going to get messy.

"Good. You guys will meet in an alley close to the bank at 18:00. Oh, and another thing; I've ordered some extra communication equipment, which will be placed in the alley we rendezvous in; ear pieces for all of you, so we can communicate and coordinate better. Your driver will be "Scar", which you had some interactions with last time. That's all for now. I'll let you know if there is any change of plans. Remember that you're living normal lives as well; you all have things to do, but don't be late for our… Evening entertainment."

With that said, he hung up. Finding no reason to stay in the room, I made my way towards the armoury. Once there, I looked around for my combat knife. After a few moments of looking, I found it on a counter. I picked it up and inspected it closely; it was dull. I sat down, picked up some sandpaper, and started sharpening it. As I sat there in silence, my thoughts once more drifted towards a certain pink hedgehog. I quickly tried to force the thought out of my head, and became annoyed with myself when I didn't manage to do so. "_What is wrong with me?"_ I mentally asked myself. I've only had scarce interactions with the girl, still she apparently left a lasting impression, as I can't get her out of my sodding head. Refocusing at the knife in front of me, I touched the edge. It was defiantly sharp enough to slit through most fabrics, even armour and… skin.

"Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day"

**-"The Secure" Bank, 18:00-**

Casing the bank, I knew where this was going to go by silently: Visibly armed guards, cameras and a whole lot of civilians. The fact that we needed to use C4 to open the vault didn't help either. Turning to my crew, I broke the news to them.

"There is no way this is going down without a fight. Too much security to sneak it. Gear up, check ammo and equipment, and ready up. S.W.A.T is probably right around the corner as well"

Sharing some concerned looks, they figured that this would be a war. Nonetheless, they put on their armour, readied their guns, and put there masks on. Cocking my M1911, I started walking slowly towards the bank. The rest of my crew followed shortly behind. We were entering from a backdoor, guarded by two armed hedgehogs. Looking over my shoulder, I looked at Silver.

"You take the guy on the right, I'll take the one the left. And for once, I'll let you go full Rambo in there, as long as you lay of the civilians"

A small smile gradually grew bigger as I told him. Turing to face the bank again, I couldn't help to let a smirk pride my face. "_What a child. I guess simple things please simple minds"_. I now had a good line of sight on the guards. They seemed to be chitchatting, not really paying attention to the world around them. How typical.

"On three"

I half said, half whispered. Silver nodded in confirmation.

"One… Two… Three"

There was no going back. Two shots rang in perfect union, two guards were dead and the bank was in utter and sudden chaos. The shrieks and screams were heard, but soon drowned out by the ear-piercing alarm. Turning to my crew, I made one more snarky comment before charging into the bank.

"Ah, fuck it. I never liked "Plan A" anyways"

**Leaving you with a cliffhanger this time. Tell me what you think of the chapter. R&R.**

**Until next time….**


	5. Cash-Out

"**A/N" To celebrate 17 pathetic years on this very planet, I've decided, in a kind of reverse gift giving-way, to release the next chapter. Now, you're probably wondering what you can do to wish me a happy birthday. Here is a list I put together with the solution to your problem:**

**Go to xXDarkAngelKittenXx's page and review the stories "Snow Blind" and "End of the Line" (And all the others of course).**

**Read and review this chapter.**

**For the ever loving Christ, stop fucking sending me requests to do creepy roleplays with the Sonic characters that involve one character shitting on one another. Literally. Enjoy that mental image.**

**Replies to reviews :**

**NothingBetter1: Nothing quite like "Plan B". Thanks for reviewing.**

**xXDarkAngelKittenXx: I created this little funny moment based on when it happened to me… Anyways, glad you liked it.**

**Now without further ado:**

**Everyone needs their payday: Chapter 5; Cash-out**

**-Shadows POV-**

When we entered the main hall, it was filled with panicked civilians. Turing to my crew, I simply nodded. They started spreading out, covering exits and making sure that no one escaped. In the crowd, I noticed something interesting: A security guard, franticly trying to keep his calm, but his courage was faltering. He wore a ballistics vest, and carried a sub machine gun. He could be of use…

"Drop your FUCKING WEAPON!"

That got his attention, and surely, the hedgehog did what I instructed him to do. I was aiming at him, and I could sense his fear from where I was standing. Deathly afraid.

"Get on your knees"

I was like a puppet master, pulling his stings. Now on his knees, I approached him in a hurried pace. I kneeled in front of him, making eye contact.

"Listen here… I don't want any one of us to get hurt, so I thank you for your cooperation. However, I got an interesting… offer for you: Turn your guns against the police. We make more money this one day, than you will make in your entire life. We will let you have a cut of the action. You understand?"

I spoke calmly and clearly, in contrast to our surroundings. His mental confusion seemed to get the better of him. He slowly nodded to my proposal. A small smirk grew on my lips as I patted his back and helped him back to his feed and handed him his gun. Looking around, I saw my companions gather the remaining civilians in the office area of the bank, and making sure they stayed at the ground . Turning back to my "puppet", I gave him the instruction to stand guard at the main entrance, and retreat to inform us when the cops decided to show up. Once I was sure that he had understood his orders and made his way to his post, I made my way towards the office area. Once there, I jumped up on a table located in the centre of the civilian masses.

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP EVERYONE!"

A silence settled as my voice became dominant in the room. A few whimpers and sobs could occasionally heard from the crying and terrified people lying on the floor.

"We're not here to rob any of you; we're here to rob the bank. All of you are insured by the federal government; you don't lose a dime. Do NOT try to be a hero, 'cause you aren't. Think of your families, think about your loved ones, think about your friends. I want you to stay down, and face the floor. Pray if you have to, but be quiet"

Looking around, I saw the civilians obeying my orders. All was going according to plan.

"C4's in place!"

I turned around to see Silver, or should I say "Wolf", pointing towards the vault with a detonator in hand. Nodding, I glanced over at Blaze. She knew what it meant.

"Five minutes till' S.W.A.T. arrives"

Nodding, I looked back at "Wolf".

"Blow it in twenty seconds. When we breach it, you stay here and keep them in check"

Earning a nod from the silver hedgehog, I refocused on the civilians.

"You heard my associate: There will be a loud noise here pretty soon. Stay calm, it will not hurt you. Mr. Wolf here will personally see to your wellbeing after the noise, and he really doesn't like heroes…"

"FIRE IN THE HOLE"

A small click, and the building shook from the tremendous power of the explosive device. Once the dust settled and the screaming stopped, I jumped down from the table, only to see Silver jump up on that very table.

"STAY THE HELL DOWN! IF I SEE ANY OF YOUR FACES, I'LL SHOOT"

I couldn't help but to roll my eyes. Of course he couldn't see that behind my mask, but I did it nonetheless. However, I promised I'd let him do it… Collecting my thoughts, I quickly started shouting orders.

"Hoxton, Chains! Follow me! We've got 4 minutes"

Moving towards the newly breached vault, my thoughts was focused on the task to come, slightly blurred by my sudden rush of adrenaline. Call me a hypocrite, but sometimes I love the outlaw life; it has it's perks. Entering the vault, I saw the stacks upon stacks of cash. Absolutely breath-taking. In the back of my mind I hoped that some of this money was supposed to pay my teacher. The look on his face when they tell him he won't be paid… Ah, how I wish I was there to see it. Snapping out of my little train of thoughts, I pulled out a large bag and shoved two of the piles into it. Smiling to myself, I turned towards the destroyed vault door. My smile fainted when I saw the security guard from before.

"T-they're h-here"

The stuttering hedgehog was panicking, and the cops were here. Great.

"Cover the main entrance. If they enter, you shoot them. I'll be with you in a minute!"

The WPD was here to impede out progress, however, I was not going to let them. Looking back at Blaze and Knuckles, I informed them about the current situation.

"You guys bag the money and carry the bags. I'll cover the main entrance."

A huff was heard from Knuckles.

"Once more you're escaping "bag duty" "

Ignoring his remark, I made my way to the main hall. Checking my magazine to make sure it was full, I rendezvoused with "our" security guard. He was standing by a window, looking out at the policemen taking cover behind their cars. He was panicking, morale faltering, and turned to me for advice.

"W-what do w-we d-do? They're gonna … k-kill us"

His voice was shaky and toned down, like he had accepted defeat already. However, I was not giving up that easily.

"Don't worry… Well… Don't worry until S.W.A.T. arrives. Then you can worry. Until then, you take cover and return fire whenever possible. We are leaving soon"

I was right. It wasn't the police he should be afraid of… I sounded confident in my speech, and it strengthened the wavering man. A new confidence lit up in him as he franticly nodded in agreement. A tense few minutes went by, nothing in particular happening. A annoying buzz suddenly started to ring in my ear. Tapping my earpiece, I soon hear a familiar voice.

"I see a lot of S.W.A.T. vans being dispatched, what the hell is going on over there?"

_Tails, you of all people should know… _

"Well, I was in the bank, wanting to make a withdrawal…"

A sarcastic quip to his dumb question, personally satisfied with myself. A smile prided my face behind the mask; although it was meant as a joke, it was somewhat true. We _were _cleaning out the vault this very moment, after all.

"Well, I hope you prepared for a fight: S.W.A.T. vans inbound, ETA 1 minute"

My smile disappeared; one minute? That is not enough time. We'll be trapped between a rock and a hard place. Turning towards our ally, I told him what to do.

"If S.W.A.T. enters, light 'em up. I need to inform my crew about the current situation. Need assistance? Go to "Wolf", that awkward sociopath over there"

He looked over towards "Wolf" with a worried look on his face. Ignoring it, and feeling satisfied by my briefing, I turned towards the vault and started running. This operation was going to hell faster than anticipated. Entering the looted vault, I was happy to see them finishing bagging the money. However, that didn't change the fact that S.W.A.T. was right around the corner.

"WE NEED TO GET A MOVE ON!"

Almost instantly, Knuckles handed me a bag, smirking.

"After you then; You didn't escape after all"

I was about to reply his snarky comment with soulless sarcasm, but I was rudely interrupted by gunshots, followed by swearing and shouting.

"Let's get rambling"

Two nods confirmed that hell was about to break loose. Bursting through the vault door, guns in hand and spirits high, we tried to locate the source of the commotion. Entering the main hall of the bank, we were greeted by flying bullets, a silver hedgehog and a security guard pinned down and two S.W.A.T. teams firing upon them. Silver turned slowly towards us as he saw us approach. He held up one hand, signalling for us to stop. Once he made sure we followed his "order", he made another movement with his hand, telling us to flank the teams.

"I'll do it. You guys stay here, and fire at will"

The others looked at each other, not sure if they wanted to protest or not. Slowly putting down my bag of money, I checked my weapon once more; one can never be too safe. When I was sure my weapons were working, I made my way towards a corridor that would take me where I needed to go; over to the S.W.A.T. teams flank. I would kill them to make our escape possible… and I would have no moral questioning when doing it. Still, when the moment came, and I was aiming at the tightly packed formation of police officers, I found myself stalling, questioning myself. Was it worth ruining many people's lives, just for money? Was this what I had degraded to?

Multiple shots were fired, bullets flew from the barrel of my gun, and two entire S.W.A.T. teams were dead.

"_Yes… This is… Who I am"_

Not giving it a second thought, I tossed away my magazine, reloaded, and made my way back to my crew. When I returned, I was given thumbs ups and a comments recognizing my "great deeds". I was disgusted with them, as well as myself for what I did. I just stayed silent, picked up one bag and made my way towards the escape van. Since both the S.W.A.T. teams were dead or mortally wounded, we encountered no resistance when we made our way towards the van. Opening the doors in the back of the van, I tossed my bag in the back and climbed in. After loading all the bags into the van, the rest of the crew entered the van. When I was about to close the doors and signal the driver to go, I saw my little "puppet", waiting to get into the car. Sighing, I offered him my hand to "help" him into the van. He took it, I pulled him close and three gunshots were heard. His lifeless body hit the ground, and I signalled the driver to go.

_I was right. It wasn't the police he should be afraid of…_

**Another chapter done. I personally liked the ending. What do you think?**

**Read and review.**

**Until next time.**


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